MBS Divisions MBSpets MBSpets Featured Articles Featured Article - (W)holistic Pet: Blazing the Path to Radiant Health Through An Evolutionary Diet
| Featured Article - (W)holistic Pet: Blazing the Path to Radiant Health Through An Evolutionary Diet |
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By Dr. Suzan Seelye, DVM, CVT, CVA You have made the shift towards a more (w)holistic life style through diet, exercise, meditation, and by seeking out knowledge from a whole range of alternative, integrative health care practitioners. You have reaped the benefits in decreased medical bills, increased energy, and improved mental health. Now that you’re reaping the benefits of a healthier, wholesome, possibly organic, diet you find yourself pondering the healthiness of the highly processed food your pet consumes. What should you feed your pet to promote their optimum health? The answer to this question is the most important piece of knowledge you can have in order to provide the best preventive care for your pet. What you choose to feed will be a large factor in how long your pet will live, how healthy he/she will be, and how much you will spend at your veterinarians.
With so many companies vying for your pet food dollar what do you look for when you buy dog or cat food? My advice is to go straight to the ingredient list. Dogs and cats are carnivores; their bodies are designed to digest primarily meat. I once had a pet food company representative try to convince me that dogs are omnivores (eating both plants and animals), but then he had a product to sell. The ingredients are listed in order of quantity. You want to find a food that has the first 2 to 3 ingredients as meat. Don’t be fooled by “meal” or “by- products”, such as “chicken meal” or “meat by-products” (more on this in future articles). These are fine farther down the ingredient list but you want to buy one that has just meat (preferably lamb, turkey, fish, rabbit or chicken) first. Dogs do best on a diet with NO grain, as their bodies are not designed to utilize it. Consider preparing your own pet food. It can be simple, easy, and very cost effective. Listed below, in order of quality, are feeding regimes to consider for your companion as you implement the change to a wholistic lifestyle for them. 1. Raw food diet with NO processed commercial pet food. This is the gold standard that will help your pet reach his genetic potential. It will add years of quality life to you companion’s life and can prevent many medical conditions. If your pet has allergies it is the only diet I have found in 27 years of veterinary practice which can cure/control this condition, without the use of drugs. I continue to be amazed by the “miracle” cures of chronic conditions from just this simple change. Last week I had two clients exclaim “I wish I had done this years ago!” 2. Commercial dry pet food with meat as the first 2 or 3 ingredients on the label. Yes, this will cost more than those that have no meat but you will feed less, have less stool, a shiny, glistening hair coat, and a far healthier pet. The hair coat reflects the inner health of your pet. In the long and short run you will save money by making fewer trips to the veterinarian. Supplement this with raw fruits, vegetables (preferably ground up as they can not digest the cellulose covering of vegetables well), fresh, lean chicken, turkey, fish, and RAW bones. Yes, I did say RAW bones! There is nothing better for oral health. Be sure they are raw as cooked bones can splinter and cause medical problems. No tiny bones please. More organic and “natural” foods are being produced today that contain less chemicals and better ingredients. If these are available in your area they may be a better choice assuming that they are “meat based”. Become an informed label reader and don’t be fooled by the advertising or the enticing appearance of the bag. It may be labeled organic but if it has no meat then it is not a healthy choice for your pet. 3. Canned or semi-moist food is fine for pets with special needs or as treats and training aids. Appropriate for the thin, geriatric pet that needs more calories. Sometimes this kind of food is appropriate for hunting dogs, lactating or pregnant dogs. These foods will promote tartar and plaque buildup on the teeth. 4. Commercial food with grain first. This is inadequate as a diet for your pet. The majority of pet foods fall into this category. Why? Economics! I will provide more on the development of processed foods in a future article. I offer you the self rewarding challenge of starting today to improve your pet’s health through feeding a healthier diet. One of the best ways to start is to add a portion of raw, fresh, whole chicken to your pet’s daily diet, such as a chicken wing or drummette for small dogs and cats, and a chicken leg or thigh for medium to large dogs. Preferably given in the late afternoon or evening. Protein takes longer to digest in the gastrointestinal track and thus will keep them satisfied and full through the night. My clients have shared astounding changes in their pets from just this simple addition to their diet. Next issue: How to implement a RAW or REAL food diet into your pet’s life. Dr. Suzan Seelye is available for phone consultations to help you with medical and behavioral problems with your animal companion, and to establish a wholistic preventive health care plan for your dog, cat, or horse. Find out more at http://www.quantumvet.com Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites          
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